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Glossary

Showing 831-840 out of 1156 Terms

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  • Neurosurgeon

    NOOR-oh-SER-jun

    A doctor who has special training in surgery on the brain, spine, and other parts of the nervous system.

  • Neurotoxicity

    (NOOR-oh-tok-SIH-sih-tee)

    The tendency of some treatments to cause damage to the nervous system.

  • Neurotransmitters

    (NOOR-oh-tranz-MIH-ters)

    A chemical that is made by nerve cells and used to communicate with other cells, including other nerve cells and muscle cells.

  • Neutropenia

    noo-troh-PEE-nee-uh

    A condition in which there is a lower-than-normal number of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) in the blood.

  • Neutrophils

    new-trow-fils

    A type of white blood cell that is an important part of the immune system and helps the body fight infection. When microorganisms, such as bacteria or viruses, enter the body, neutrophils are one of the first immune cells to respond. They travel to the site of infection, where they destroy the microorganisms by ingesting them and releasing enzymes that kill them. Neutrophils also boost the response of other immune cells. A neutrophil is a type of granulocyte and a type of phagocyte.

  • Night sweats

    Episodes of excessive sweating that occur during sleep.

  • Nitrosourea

    (ny-TROH-soh-YOO-ree-uh)

    An anticancer drug that can cross the blood-brain barrier. Carmustine and lomustine are nitrosoureas.

  • Nodules

    (NAH-jool)

    A growth or lump that may be malignant (cancer) or benign (not cancer).

  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

    Any of a large group of cancers of lymphocytes (white blood cells). Non-Hodgkin lymphomas can occur at any age and are often marked by lymph nodes that are larger than normal, fever, and weight loss. There are many different types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These types can be divided into aggressive (fast-growing) and indolent (slow-growing) types, and they can be formed from either B-cells or T-cells. B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas include Burkitt lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, immunoblastic large cell lymphoma, precursor B-lymphoblastic lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma. T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas include mycosis fungoides, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and precursor T-lymphoblastic lymphoma. Lymphomas that occur after bone marrow or stem cell transplantation are usually B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Prognosis and treatment depend on the stage and type of disease. Also called NHL.

  • Noonan syndrome

    (NOO-nun SIN-drome)

    A genetic disorder marked by unusual facial features, being shorter than normal, learning problems, heart defects, bleeding problems, defects in the skeleton (bones of the body), and fertility problems in males. People with Noonan syndrome have an increased risk of certain types of cancer, such as rhabdomyosarcoma (a soft tissue tumor), neuroblastoma (cancer of immature nerve cells), and some types of leukemia.